Two Sundays ago, the nation lost its founding father Mr. Lee Kuan Yew.
Last Sunday, after four days of lying in state and more than a million paid their last respects at the Parliament House and at various community tributes, thousands more lined the streets in pouring rain to bid their last goodbyes and say thank you to the man who built this nation.
I was among one of the many who queued to pay my last respect and lined the streets to bid my last goodbye. And I am also one of those young Singaporeans who have taken everything given to us for granted. For that, I said thank you and sorry when the cortege that carried Mr. Lee Kuan Yew passed by. Sorry for being swayed so easily by naysayers and not stand firm in my belief. Sorry for not understanding that what were done was for the best of us all.
The national mourning week has indeed been a dark week. Our Prime Minister Mr. Lee Hsien Loong, who is also the son of the late Mr. Lee said during the state funeral that the light that has guided Singapore has been extinguished. I fully agree.
While we paid our last respects, TV programmes on Mr. Lee gave us a glimpse of the great man's vision, contributions and his life as a husband, father and grandfather. We all got to know him a little better albeit a little too late.
So many of us are guilty of incessant complaints of the seemingly unreasonable laws and rules that were set upon us and on this tiny island without fully understanding why they were implemented in the first place.
We overlooked the fact that while cost of living is rising, our currency is strong against so many countries and within South East Asia we have a lot more and living far better than many others in neighbouring countries.
We forgot that this garden city-state is the envy of many; our education system, our thriving economy, our clean garden state and more. Most of all, we forgot that it's the hard work of Mr. Lee and his team and the pioneer generation who made all these possible.
In his death, Mr. Lee once more united Singapore; we come together from all walks of life and we all felt the same pain and loss.
Hopefully, in remembering Mr. Lee, we will think about what we have and play our parts together to make Singapore an even better place for our next generation. Mahjulah Singapura!
We can never thank you enough, Mr. Lee, but thank you for everything we have and own.
The national mourning week has indeed been a dark week. Our Prime Minister Mr. Lee Hsien Loong, who is also the son of the late Mr. Lee said during the state funeral that the light that has guided Singapore has been extinguished. I fully agree.
While we paid our last respects, TV programmes on Mr. Lee gave us a glimpse of the great man's vision, contributions and his life as a husband, father and grandfather. We all got to know him a little better albeit a little too late.
So many of us are guilty of incessant complaints of the seemingly unreasonable laws and rules that were set upon us and on this tiny island without fully understanding why they were implemented in the first place.
We overlooked the fact that while cost of living is rising, our currency is strong against so many countries and within South East Asia we have a lot more and living far better than many others in neighbouring countries.
We forgot that this garden city-state is the envy of many; our education system, our thriving economy, our clean garden state and more. Most of all, we forgot that it's the hard work of Mr. Lee and his team and the pioneer generation who made all these possible.
In his death, Mr. Lee once more united Singapore; we come together from all walks of life and we all felt the same pain and loss.
Hopefully, in remembering Mr. Lee, we will think about what we have and play our parts together to make Singapore an even better place for our next generation. Mahjulah Singapura!
We can never thank you enough, Mr. Lee, but thank you for everything we have and own.
